Hillary

After a few years of trying to meet up on the east coast and now the west coast, I finally got to meet up with my bud John DeFiora. We both happened to end up in Santa Cruz on the same day as each other. Thanks, Universe!

After grabbing some tea (all good things start with tea), we wandered over to snap some pictures and catch the sunset at the beach. Afterwards, we went to Saturn Cafe for some more tea (cool vegan spot).

I love this soft, slouchy tee from Threading Water not just because it’s super comfy, but because of what their company does with each purchase.

Their clothing is ethically sourced and each purchase supplies clean drinking water for one person for an entire year. Through their partnership with Lifewater, they donate a portion of proceeds to build clean water wells for people who don’t have access to safe water.

Check out their online store to get your own comfy tee or tank and read more about how they give back here. 🙂

Just like with their fitness program, Goodshapesteaches you to honor your body with their nutrition program. Their nutrition guide teaches you to eliminate processed foods in exchange for nutrient-rich foods that will nourish and replenish you during physical activities and create noticeable changes in your physique and energy level.

Goodshapesprovides over fifty recipes, as well as full meal options that are dependant on the activity you are performing that day. The guide also tells you the following key information:

Prep time

Nutritional Facts

How to adapt meals/snacks so they are vegetarian/vegan friendly

I’ve included two of my favorite recipes below. 🙂

Carrot Ginger Immune Booster

Ingredients:

300 g carrots

1 shallot

1 small piece of ginger

1/2 orange juiced

250-300 ml vegetable stock

1/2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Peel and dice the carrots, shallot and ginger.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until translucent. Next, add the ginger and carrots and fry for three minutes. Add the vegetable stock and let simmer until the carrots are soft, around 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the juice from the orange and some salt and pepper and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. If the soup is too thick, add more vegetable stock.

Variation: Use sweet potato or pumpkin instead of carrots, try an apple instead of orange or add one teaspoon of curry powder in addition to or instead of the ginger.

Deep Red Antioxidant Smoothie

Ingredients:

2 handfuls mixed berries

1 banana

2 TBSP oats

1/4 tsp vanilla powder (I used unflavored pea protein)

200-250 ml coconut water

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients in blender until smooth 🙂

Because everyone is different, Goodshapesencourages you to modify the recipe for your own dietary needs – or how to add more calories if you are in need of more energy due to your activity level. The guide also offers helpful tips for eating out and “choose this/not that” lists that help take some of the guesswork out of what to order when you’re out. Because the program practices moderation, the guide also reminds you to enjoy food socially and to have some splurges here and there!

Mindfulness and Gratitude

Since I’ve done my yoga teacher training, I’ve learned so much more about the importance of mind/body awareness and the integration between the two. In addition to the fitness and nutrition guides, Goodshapesencourages you to be more mindful about what you’re eating, how you feel, the type of internal dialogues you have with yourself, and how practicing gratitude will cultivate mindfulness in not only your health journey, but extend to relationships in your personal and professional life.

A lot of times, I feel like exercise programs also tend to be a bit extreme in their views –you know, no pain no gain! Push through! Suffer! Conquer!–and while there is something to be said about pushing your limits, Goodshapesdoes not encourage you to do anything extreme or harmful to your body. The guide also includes some helpful tips on resting, getting better sleep, and striving for optimal health, wellness, and balance in general.

I am very comfortable recommending this program to anyone looking to eat more mindfully, explore the mind-body connection, and looking for an exercise program that will help them become more fit, toned, strong, and flexible. I personally love their recipes and their workouts, and I hope that you will join me for a 14 week holistic lifestyle fitness and nutrition program!

There are so many different fitness and nutrition programs out there these days, and many of them have conflicting/super extreme/restrictive advice. It can be difficult to navigate which one might work for you, and part of that boils down to the fact that there is not a one size fits all prescription for exercise and nutrition. Every body is different, and therefore different things work for different people.

As a trainer and licensed physical therapist assistant, some of my biggest concerns with any program is whether or not it is sustainable, practical, safe, and effective. After learning the hard way with my own health, I no longer adopt a fitness philosophy of no pain no gain, or go as hard as you can–but rather one of moderation and balance that emphasizes nutrition, fitness, mind, and spirit.

This is why I was so excited to learn about Goodshapes, a program that is holistic in nature and strives to help you gain confidence, reach your fitness goals, build strength, increase tone, adopt a healthier concept of nutrition, practice gratitude, rest and restore, and gradually bump up training intensity while preventing risks of injury.

The Lowdown

With the program, Goodshapesprovides you with two guides — one on nutrition and living well, the other your personalized workout guide. The workout guide explains in thorough, yet simple terms the different types of exercise you perform. It also includes:

Reasoning behind exercise and workout

Different levels of intensity

Warm Ups to get your blood pumping

Entire workouts that are personalized for your fitness level

Stretches to keep you from getting injured

Maybe it’s the rebel within me, but I don’t like to do something if I don’t know why I’m doing it–and Goodshapesdoes a great job at helping me understand why the workout I am doing is effective! I love that the guide has pictures with detailed descriptions of each exercise. At the end of the guide, they’ve condensed it into a mini-guide that you can easily pull up on your tablet or phone, wherever you may be.

Another plus of the Goodshapes program that I love? Since the program consists of strictly bodyweight exercises, you can do the workouts anywhere and no equipment is needed. Fitness equipment and gym memberships can be so expensive. You can do these workouts at home, outdoors, or while traveling. The workouts are 30-45 minutes in duration. They gradually increase intensity at different stages to ease you into the exercises and keep your body safe.

They also have endurance options for exercise and the program encourages you to modify as needed and listen carefully to your body. While a lot of programs put too much emphasis into one aspect of fitness, Goodshapes encourages and guides you with an array of focused activities, including power/strength, flexibility, cardio, and functional movement.

To keep you motivated and progressing, they also offer challenges throughout the program so you can amp it up and see results even faster. They recommend that you take pics before and during the program so you can see your results (every 4 weeks) – just tag #goodshapes on your pics! This isn’t a crash diet or extreme workout plan, but rather easy-to-adopt changes to your lifestyle that will lead you to looking and feeling your best.Stay on the lookout for the second part of this series – I will share with you some of my favorite recipes from as well as some other aspects of their nutrition program!

When I lived in NYC, I was pretty much living in activewear–especially black leggings. Now that I’m in California, I’m definitely living in leggings, albeit a little more colorful these days.

I love to be comfortable, but lately I’ve also felt like I want to step it up and dress up a little. Some days I’m back to wearing jeans or dresses. I realized, though, that I could also “dress up my activewear”. By adding a few simple accessories like sandals, a cardigan, a clutch, and jewelry, I feel significantly fancier.

While we were in Positano on the Amalfi Coast, I wanted to feel comfortable while walking around as a tourist, yet still look like I put some effort into my outfit for dinner. I paired these pretty pink and purple Noli Yoga petal leggings with a comfy shirt and this blush pink H & M cardigan and some sandals. You can see another look from Noli Yoga on this trip here.

Feeling like I was really going all out, I ditched my hot pink travel fanny pack in favor of this Salvatore Ferragamo clutch for the day. One of my former personal training clients got this for me as a going away present. It makes me so happy to carry it and think of her.

I love malas, and Mala Prayer makes such beautiful handcrafted ones. Not only are they beautiful to look at, but wearing one reminds me to be more mindful. Wearing a mala also gives me something to do with my anxious little hands.

From doing morning yoga on the beach to sight-seeing and visiting the local shops during the day to dinner at night, I felt pretty ok with myself in this outfit. This probably isn’t what people mean by dress attire, but for certain occasions, it’ll do just fine. :p

While I usually wear minimal makeup and more neutral colors, sometimes it is a nice change of pace to wear some fun, poppy colors! Now that it is summer, I think I’ll mix up my neutrals with some shades of pink.

This is from a photo set from a shoot Jeff and I did in NYC with makeup artist Mary Guthrie and hair stylist Richard Keogh. Richard did some interesting twists and updos with my hair. These photos can be found at www.fashiongonerogue.com Also, check out the teased hairstyles with the other model, Nicole on there!

Mary used some pinks and greens for this look. These are way bolder than I would have picked myself, but I think they are really fun. I love when I get the chance to work with creative artists. As a result, her love of color has inspired me to invest in a few summer colors to play with this season!

Whether it is makeup, food, or fitness, I think it is important to mix things up. Most of all, have fun with whatever it is that you’re doing! I’m always inspired to try new things with each change of seasons.

I’ll be sharing a second set of images from this fun and bright shoot in the near future.

Now that the temperatures are getting hotter and I’ll be outside more, I’m looking at options to keep my skin safe this summer. I have to admit, I sometimes neglect wearing sunscreen in the colder, cloudier months, but we really should be wearing SPF daily. I’ll keep that in mind this winter. :p

It’s not new news that sunscreen can help prevent skin cancer as well as damage to our skin that results in premature aging. Here are a few of my favorite products thus far this season and some common sense tips for protecting your skin!

Sunscreen! I love the facial sunscreen from Beauty by Earth. It absorbs well into my skin and doesn’t leave a greasy residue. It’s also organic, cruelty free, and doesn’t contain harsh chemicals. They have regular sunscreen as well. Skincancer.org recommends putting sunscreen on 30 minutes before sun exposure and reapplying at least every 2 hours and immediately after getting wet or sweating a lot.

Chapstick with SPF. Who wants painful, sunburnt, crusty lips? Not me. There are so many good ones out there, but I really like this Kiss My Face Sport Sunscreen Lip Balm when I’m outside being active.

Foundation or tinted moisturizers with sunscreen. I have several favorites, but one of the ones I’ve used for years now is Bare Minerals. It is easy to reapply in layers and over top of sunscreen.

Clothes with SPF! Sometimes I don’t take this one into consideration, but many fabrics allow UV rays to pass through. If you’re going to be outside for awhile, it’s something to think about!

Since I’ve been dealing with belly bloat for the past year and a half, finding comfortable, stretchy clothing has been a big priority for me. I remember watching I Dream of Jeannie when I was growing up, and wanting to dress up as a genie for Halloween. Those dreams were shattered due to a situation in third grade when I was being an a$$hole and got grounded around Halloween. After that, I was too stubborn to trick or treat again, so it never happened.

While harem pants are not a new thing, they’ve recently been becoming more popular in yoga/fitness culture, so I was eager to try a pair for myself. These harem pants from Mira Rae did not disappoint! The waist band didn’t dig into my gassy belly, and the material was super flowy for unrestricted yoga movement. Not to mention, I finally felt like those childhood genie dreams were coming true.

As I’ve mentioned before, I love anything mesh. This hoodie from Mira Rae also has those little finger tab things, so I kept slipping my hands into them and pretending I was a ninja–another childhood dream costume! I paired it with their sumi crop top.

For comfort, fit, and style, I give Mira Rae an A++, and I look forward to sharing more of their clothing! If you have any little ones, they also have fitness clothing for younger girls and the cutest toddler outfits as well–including metallic leggings!

I hate jeans shopping. Hate it. I went a good year and a half without even bothering going, because I hate it so much. That’s probably why I spend so much in activewear. It’s comfortable and easy to shop for. That can’t be said about my experiences with shopping for jeans. I’ve gone to the Gap and managed to try on 17 pairs of jeans and walk out with nothing (I’d like to also add that I fold them and take them out of the fitting room–I’m not THAT obnoxious). But basically, I just hate shopping for jeans. It always leads to me feeling defeated and going and drinking like 5 teas afterwards to try to make myself feel better. 😀

Previously, I had never shopped for jeans online. The idea seemed so ludicrous to me when I can’t even find a pair in the store after trying on so many–so I couldn’t believe it when I got a pair of jeans online from Kancan and they ACTUALLY FIT. Not only do they fit, but they are comfortable and I actually like how they look! I guess it’s safe to say that I will now occasionally be wearing something other than leggings!

I look forward to trying more of their denim styles out and I’m also relieved that I won’t have to go to a store and try on heaps of jeans. I styled these with my trusty Stan Smiths, this simple crop top, and this adorable sea otter purse from Bungalow 360 that I’m obsessed with made from sustainable materials!

This season, I’m really loving mesh details on my activewear, and I hope mesh is here to stay. I love these floral and mesh pants from Temple Flower. They passed my test of being made from a material that isn’t see-through (isn’t it weird that this even needs to be criteria for women’s clothing?! If I wanted to wear pantyhose to the gym, I’d wear pantyhose, you know?) and they are plenty stretchy enough for comfort and movement.

I have been wearing this pullover shirt so much–it is comfy for wearing on the plane, makes a great swim pullover when it is a little chilly out, and it is fabulous to wear during my yoga practice and while running errands. I like that it is longer (perfect for when you’re in certain yoga postures) and has drawstrings at the bottom. Basically, for the last two weeks, I’ve mostly just been taking it off to wash. 😀

Jeff and I shot these in Positano, Italy, which is now one of my favorite spots. I have several more posts to share about Positano in the near future. <3

Temple Flower makes their clothing in LA, and their vision and philosophy is as beautiful as their clothing. You can read more about how they give back here.

It’s been awhile since my last post. I’m still working on getting into the groove of blogging. Since my last post, I’ve finished my 200 hour registered yoga teacher training (yay!). I’ve continued to have some ups and downs health-wise, and have been traveling a good bit, often with minimal or no wifi. Excuses, excuses, right? :p

Positano, Italy is one of my favorite places I’ve been to, and I’ll be sharing several more posts from this beautiful place. There are incredible views of the coast, a small beach area, charming shops and outdoor cafes. There are also like 1,000 steps you can climb if walking up the steep streets isn’t enough exercise for you. No, seriously–like 1,000 steps. Probably more. It’s supposed to take you like 45 minutes to do this one portion of steps there. We didn’t make it up all of them because we got lost and had to get to our dinner reservation. :p

Being comfortable is of high priority for me, especially if I’m walking around a lot, so per usual, I lived in yoga leggings much of the trip. These Luna Leggings and Aria bra from Noli Yoga were perfect for when the weather was a little warmer down at the beach, and I added one of my favorite jackets since I don’t dine in a sports bra at cafes.

These leggings (and all pants from Noli–three cheers for consistency!) pass my “not see through test”. I’ve also worn them for my hotel workouts and they are comfy and stretchy. While I love bright and colorful clothing, I am always a fan of more classic, simple pieces. Maybe it’s my inner goth child self that loves black, or maybe from living in NYC, but you can never go wrong with black!